Tools for Vlogging

I have had so much fun making videos for my Youtube channel. It’s something that I have wanted to do for a while and would occasionally dip my toes into. A little over a month ago I decided to challenge myself to doing a new video every week. I honestly love it. The filming part is fun and I have really had a great time learning how to edit better. (Not so much the talking to the camera part, but I’m getting more used to it.)

My blog has been such a huge part of my life (eight years in December!) and it’s my baseline for normalcy. The video thing has been fun, I think, largely because it’s a new challenge. I won’t be changing anything else on my blog and social channels, just additionally uploading videos. I probably won’t mention it too much here, except every now and then… but I would love it if you could subscribe to my channel so you never miss one!

While I’ve been doing once-a-week videos, I decided to try (almost) daily vlogging too. They’re my favorite kinds of videos to watch on Youtube myself because they’re casual and not overly perfect. I am personally hooked on a few channels that put up daily vlogs, which is what inspired me to start posting more. It’s been off to a rocky start (forgotten chargers, cranky mode from heat, etc.) so we will see how it goes ? Please bear with me as I get more used to it!

As I started posting more videos, I have been asked more times than I can count about how I do it. Guys, I’m the most beginner beginner here, but I will let you know what I’m using right now. Who knows what I will end up doing later… but for now here’s what has been working for me:

THE CAMERA: Canon G7x

I did a lot of research for cameras and this one kept coming back up. I’m incredibly happy with it. It’s great for vlogging because the back screen flips up so you can see what’s happening while you film yourself. Besides just being a great vlogging camera, it’s actually an amazing camera in general. Super small (fits into clutches), but has a ton of settings and capabilities. (I’d recommend it as a travel camera if you don’t want to lug around a big camera but want better quality than an iPhone.)

The only issue I’ve had with it is that the lens cover got a little wonky because I had just been throwing it into my purse!

THE TRIPOD: Joby Flexible Tripod

I added this a few videos in and it just makes filming so much easier. It’s flexible so you can hook it or stand it on anything. (While on Nantucket, we used to the tripod to hook it to the top of the boat for a selfie shot.) It also makes holding the camera easier while you’re filming, especially if you’re filming yourself. It essentially makes it so you don’t see any of your arm– and it’s way more comfortable to hold it that way anyway.

THE EDITING SOFTWARE: Final Cut Pro

I’ve been editing the more recent videos with Final Cut Pro (I splurged), but I’ve always loved iMovie, too. If you’re just starting out, I would commit to learning iMovie and getting comfortable with editing there before upgrading to Final Cut Pro. The transition to Final Cut will be so much easier if you have a basic understanding of iMovie. I talked about how I’ve been teaching myself Final Cut before, but essentially I like trial and error, Youtube videos to figure out how to do something specific, and Lynda.com for full-on lessons.

Do you have a favorite Youtuber that I should watch?!